CPU Comparison
Intel Core 5 320 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 332
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core 5 320 is a low-power mobile SoC from Intel’s Wildcat Lake family, combining two Cougar Cove performance cores and four Darkmont low‑power efficiency cores with a 15 W base power and integrated Xe3 graphics and NPU, aimed at budget and mainstream laptops.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Gaming
Virtualization
Efficiency
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- 16 TOPS INT8 NPU for Windows Studio Effects and light local models.
- CPU and GPU also support OpenVINO, WindowsML, DirectML, WebNN.
- Not designed for large LLMs or heavy training, but suitable for on‑device inference and AI‑enhanced apps.
- 46 TOPS NPU5 for efficient on‑device AI
- Good for Windows Studio Effects and local AI assistants
- Not aimed at large‑scale model training
Content Creation
Gaming
- 2 Xe3 iGPU cores – suitable for eSports and older titles at low/medium settings.
- AV1 decode and encode supported; no hardware ray tracing or DirectX 12 Ultimate.
- Gaming performance is heavily dependent on memory configuration and TDP headroom.
- 2‑core Xe3 iGPU is entry‑level for gaming
- Suitable for eSports and older titles at 1080p
- Not intended for AAA gaming at high settings
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Modern Cougar Cove + Darkmont hybrid architecture on Intel 18A.
- Very low 15 W base power with short‑term 35 W turbo for bursts.
- Integrated Xe3 iGPU with AV1 encode/decode and modern display outputs.
- On‑die NPU (16 TOPS INT8) for AI acceleration and Windows Studio Effects.
- Support for high‑speed LPDDR5X up to 7467 MT/s.
- Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 support from the platform controller tile.
Cons
- Only single‑channel memory, limiting bandwidth versus dual‑channel U‑series CPUs.
- Just 6 PCIe 4.0 lanes from the CPU, constraining expansion.
- 2‑Xe‑core iGPU without ray tracing or DirectX 12 Ultimate.
- No VVC (H.266) decode according to Intel’s feature trimming for Wildcat Lake.
- Limited multi‑thread headroom with 6 threads and no SMT on LP‑E cores.
Pros
- Strong AI capabilities with 46 TOPS NPU5
- vPro enterprise security and manageability
- Efficient 18A process for good battery life
- Modern I/O including PCIe 5.0, Thunderbolt 4, Wi‑Fi 7
- Full AV1 encode/decode and modern display outputs
Cons
- Only 6 cores / 6 threads limits heavy multi‑tasking and rendering
- 2‑core Xe3 iGPU is entry‑level for gaming and GPU compute
- No overclocking headroom
- Higher‑core Panther Lake SKUs offer significantly more multi‑threaded performance
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core 5 320
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core 5 330Rival
Value / mainstream mobile
- Intel Core 7 150U (Raptor Lake‑U)Rival
Mainstream U‑series
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540URival
Mainstream thin‑and‑light
- AMD Ryzen 3 8440URival
Entry‑level thin‑and‑light
- Intel Core 3 304 (Wildcat Lake)Rival
Entry‑value mobile
- Intel Core 7 150UAlt
Older architecture but dual‑channel memory and higher clocks; can be competitive depending on pricing and platform design.
Lower‑cost Wildcat Lake SKU if you don’t need the second P‑core and can accept reduced performance.
Compare head-to-head
Intel Core Ultra 5 332
- AMD Ryzen 7 8840HSRival
Mainstream Mobile (Zen 4, 8 cores / 16 threads)
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core Ultra 5 335Rival
Mainstream Mobile (4P+4LP‑E, 8 cores)
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core Ultra 5 325Rival
Mainstream Mobile (4P+4LP‑E, 8 cores, higher clocks)
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640HSRival
Mainstream Mobile (Zen 4, 6 cores / 12 threads)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 PlusRival
Arm‑based Always Connected PC
- Intel Core Ultra 7 355HAlt
Higher‑end Panther Lake SKU with more cores and a stronger iGPU if you need better creator or gaming performance.
- Intel Core Ultra 5 225UAlt
Lower‑power Lunar Lake alternative if you prioritize maximum battery life over AI TOPS and vPro features.
Our Verdict on Each
A modern, feature‑rich entry‑level mobile CPU that brings Intel’s latest CPU, GPU and NPU architectures to budget laptops, but with limited memory bandwidth and I/O that cap its performance ceiling.
Best for: Budget laptops for everyday tasks, light content creation, and AI‑enhanced experiences where efficiency and modern features matter more than raw multi‑thread or gaming performance.
Read the full reviewA capable, efficiency‑focused mobile chip for business and mainstream laptops, offering strong AI and security features via NPU5 and vPro, but not aimed at heavy creators or gamers who need more cores and a stronger iGPU.
Best for: Business or mainstream laptop with vPro, where AI features, security, and battery life matter more than heavy multi‑thread performance or high‑end gaming.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core 5 320 or Intel Core Ultra 5 332?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core Ultra 5 332 comes out ahead with a score of 8.2/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which uses less power?
The Intel Core 5 320 has the lowest rated TDP. Power draw across these chips: Intel Core 5 320 (15 W), Intel Core Ultra 5 332 (25 W).
Do Intel Core 5 320 and Intel Core Ultra 5 332 use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core 5 320: FCBGA1516, Intel Core Ultra 5 332: FCBGA2540), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core 5 320 posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core 5 320 (8,018). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.